← The IMG Hub

A Core Tool for IMGs · free, no sign-up

The NHS Grade Decoder

Attending, resident, intern, SHO, reg, trust grade, SAS — every system names its doctors differently, and the NHS uses three naming systems at once. Type the title you know, or walk the ladder rung by rung.

One renaming to know: since September 2024 the BMA and the Government have called doctors in training resident doctors (replacing “junior doctors”) — so in the UK, “resident” now spans everyone from FY1 to ST8, a much wider word than in North America. Context usually makes it obvious; when in doubt, ask — the Jargon Decoder covers the rest of the ward vocabulary.
Where do IMGs usually enter? Most commonly at the trust grade / clinical fellow rung — a real job with real patients that builds your CREST evidence and UK experience. It does not, by itself, put you in the priority group under the prioritisation rules: for 2027 recruitment that group is UK, Irish and EFTA graduates, doctors on or completing a qualifying UK programme such as the Foundation Programme, and doctors with British or Irish citizenship, right of abode, indefinite leave to remain or EU Settlement Scheme status. My Route to GP maps your own path from whichever rung you’re on.

General orientation, not professional advice. This page is educational material for doctors new to the NHS. It is not a substitute for current official guidance or for clinical judgement, and must not be relied on for the care of any individual or for financial, tax, visa or employment decisions. Always check up-to-date official sources and verify independently before acting on anything here.

Take this further

This tool is free. If you are preparing for PLAB 1, the full course puts the same reasoning into exam-style questions: a question bank with Core Lens and Deep Dive explanations, a Core Calendar revision plan built around your exam date, and Core Compass to show you which topics need you next.

Preparing for the UKMLA AKT instead?

Part of the free IMG Hub from Core Revision · pairs with the Payslip Decoder (how to read an NHS payslip).